Arrived.

In Portland. Overwhelmed and happy. As a sort of update, so that I will feel as though I can start being more random again, here is a simultaneously expanded and abridged version of the email I wrote Sam this morning (except I mostly fixed my capitalization and punctuation [if not the inconsistent tenses or the clauses within clauses within clauses] because it was driving me crazy as a blog entry, though it was fine as an email). I have a ton to say about my and Tammi's drive cross country, but we'll see if and when that happens. Moving forward.

So I got to Portland, and here is (was) my itinerary:

Thursday the 17th: Arrive.
Friday the 18th: Unload the truck, buy a car. Six words, about three weeks worth of work. But I just wanted the damn car shopping over with, plus I wanted to have it so I could do what I needed to do in it...
Saturday the 19th: Since about 2/3 of what was in the sixteen foot truck was Megan's (because I didn't have a lot of furniture in Brooklyn and what I did have was lousy, plus my new Portland apartment is probably twice the size of the old Brooklyn apartment), Tammi and I go garage saling (saleing? sale-ing?) and to Ikea, get a lovely old green armchair, a wooden rocking chair that the previous owner is anxious about parting with ("It's been in my family forever, it was my grandmother's, but I just don't have room for it--I want it to have a good home!" and half-jokingly, I say, "What are you suggesting, lady? I'm not a good home for your rocking chair?"), and a dark brown couch--a brand new couch, my first new couch ever, especially lovely after someone at a garage sale was telling me and Tammi a story about mouse droppings in a used couch she bought... also Saturday, my sister comes down from Seattle, and Tammi goes back to New York.
Sunday the 20th: Moved slightly slower. But not very much. Unpacked a ton, made like three trips to Fred Meyer's ("Freddy's"--the local Target, with the nearest one four blocks from my house), returned the rental truck and my sister was excited about driving my car (a tiny little BRAND NEW [also the first new car I've ever owned] Toyota Yaris, a good blue color, named Bobbie, I think).
Monday the 21st: Em left, I unpacked still more... got a library card... turned thirty-two.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I went to my new school (my classroom is HUGE which is not surprising, I guess, since space is not at such a premium in the Portland suburbs--it has great windows too, which we know has its pros and cons) and talked for a long time to the assistant principal who was really helpful--she'd been sort of the dean to the seventh grade last year, so really knows the kids I'll have as eighth graders this year--was telling me what kind of behavior problems to expect, that they're almost all really good kids but last year they were sort of immature as a class, acting young and needing more guidance and direction than a lot of seventh grade classes do--she's smart and I like her. Plus it's an established, stable school. With two media labs and a cart of computers that travel!!! And every teacher has a computer in their classroom, plus some classrooms have additional computers for kids! There's an awesome huge library with a full time librarian! We're not working for the NYC public schools anymore. I panicked because there aren't really classroom libraries, but I realized that in a school with an actual library, maybe--just maybe--I won't have to spend as much of my own money on books! AND--I'm part time, teaching four periods instead of five, and the AP said she thinks my schedule will have me teaching periods 2,3,4,5, and I can come late if I want, and/or leave early!!! Which I probably shouldn't do, but hey. & I'll have an advisory, but advisory is attached to the 2nd period class (how smart is that) so it's not like I'll have to be there early then have my 1st period prep. Of course this could change but--!!!

So, yeah. Been walking around a ton, though I haven't spent enough time in parks yet--only one, with my friend Donna and her mom (though Laurel and I did hang out in her back yard, under her magnolia tree, and I have been sitting on my porch a lot). I also haven't cooked anything yet, though my gas is now turned on and I did a huge Trader Joe's shop so I have just about all the staples, such as olive, canola, and sesame oil; rice, apple cider, and balsamic vinegar... brought it all home in my car... weird. Plus I've been to a friend's co-op (not members only) and my sister and I went to a great little neighborhood farm market Sunday, out at 92nd and Foster. So even though I haven't cooked yet I've been eating at home, those random summer snacks and meals: a lot of peapods and cherries, yogurt and granola, tomato basil goat cheese sandwiches. Plus Laurel and Seamus have fed me twice. I'll be feeding them soon.

Yesterday I started trying to write in the mornings, establish a routine and redefine myself as a writer before the school year starts and I am a Teacher again. This is my second day of it, and I'm already breaking my own rules by emailing during my writing time, but yeah. Trying to settle everything in, you know? And this is part of it.